Musical Connections
by MeredithBrody
Summary: Brody knows about pianos, and that reminds Pride how much he misses being able to talk about music. (Episode tag for 1x04 "The Recruits")


**So, I wrote most of this right after 1x04 "Recruits" but I never finished it. So after being reminded about it by StephNCIS on Tumblr earlier, I decided that it was time I post it. SO I did. As always, read and review.  
Shin xx**

* * *

She knew about pianos. That was what he took out of that conversation. She knew about pianos.

It had been a very long time since Pride had had someone other than his daughter to talk about music with. Laurel loved music, hence why that was her major, and he loved talking about it with her, but he missed talking to others too. Linda had loved to listen to him play, whether it was the piano or the guitar or just him singing along with something on the radio, but she'd never liked to talk about it.

He thought he was too old for adolescent crushes. He was in his 50s, trying to decide whether his marriage was something he could save. But the more time he spent with Meredith Brody the more he ended up falling into this thing he had for her. This was just the latest in a long line.

She'd managed to give him some great advice about Laurel too, he was sorry that she was caught in the middle of her parents, and it sounded like she had been for a long time. It was something he'd needed to hear though, so he wouldn't make the mistake of putting her in the middle of whatever was going on with him and Linda. Maybe her parents were part of the reason why she'd run away from everything whenever things started looking like they might settle.

"I heard Laurel leave." Came a voice that surprised him. He hadn't actually expected anyone to be there that late. Hence why he'd been staying here doing absolutely nothing, just thinking, about the person who had come round the corner to talk to him. Or check up on him. That seemed to be more what she was doing.

"I didn't expect anyone else to still be here." That was the only thing he could think of to say at first. Why was it so hard to think of something to say? His mind had been focused on Brody since Laurel had left, so of course she was the one there.

"The movers were asking about the piano, I said you were busy and I'd help you get it up there." Brody smiled and put her hand on his shoulder, which caused even more of a problem for him. He shook his head and smiled, not really wanting her to put herself out for him. "Once you're up the stairs it's on wheels you can take it to your room yourself."

"Thanks, you should have gone home." He didn't want to see her spending all her time in the office. That was part of how he had come to live here. He'd given most of his life to this job, he didn't want to see her in the same situation as him in twenty years.

"Nah, didn't need to." She waved her hand, clearly trying to make it clear that she thought what he was doing here was more important. The truth was that he didn't really have all that much here that he was doing either.

"When you spoke before..." He had to ask about her knowledge of pianos. He hadn't really thought much about it until after the case and Laurel had left. "Sounded like you knew something about pianos?"

She shrugged a little and smiled at him. "I took lessons, all through school. I was pretty good, but never really followed through with it." The way she trailed off told him there was another story to this. Whether she was going to share it or not didn't matter, he could tell that the story was there. She'd tell eventually. "I could probably still play some things."

"Sit." That had been the only thing she'd needed to say for him to invite her to the piano. He'd only invited one woman to sit with him here other than his daughter, and that had been Linda.

"Pride." She shook her head, and he wondered briefly if she knew he position as being one of the few people ever allowed to sit at his piano.

"Not an option." He shook his head, then said something that surprised even him. "I wanna see how good you are." He had never invite someone outside of his family to play this piano, and he wondered what had possessed him to now.

"This was your grandmothers." Brody commented, and he remembered telling her that earlier, when they'd been waiting for Natalie. He just nodded, absolutely certain of what he was doing.

He took a deep breath and nodded. It was a family piano, and one day it would be Laurel's. Right now it was going to be living in his room, and it would be worth it for it to get some use. "It was, and you'll be the first person outside of our family to play it." He had only just realised that, even his piano teachers had never dared touch it, and he'd taught Laurel himself. If anyone was going to be the first outsider to play it, he was glad it was her. "But I wouldn't want it to be anyone but you."

"This won't be any good. I barely remember middle C." She smiled self-consciously, and tucked the little bits of her hair behind her ears. She looked at the keys as if they were going to eat her, but he just put a hand on her shoulder in support.

"Just go on instinct." He advised and smiled as she took a breath and closed her eyes. Clearly she sat playing it from memory, and at some point during her performance he'd wrapped his arms around her. He didn't remember when, but really all he could think about was the music and the beautiful woman who was playing for him. As the song came to an end he grinned and looked at her with a smile. "That was lovely."

"Thank you." It was clear she was a little embarrassed about playing, but he had truly enjoyed it, and he wished he could hear it again. Eventually she turned to look at him, and he couldn't take it anymore. He leant forward and kissed her as hard as he could. When she shifted and wrapped her arms around him he just smiled. It hadn't been what he'd expected, but he had taken the plunge and it didn't seem like she was unhappy he had.


End file.
